


Pathways

by Bonster



Category: La Femme Nikita
Genre: F/F, F/M, Yuletide 2008
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-25
Updated: 2008-12-25
Packaged: 2017-12-26 02:43:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/960628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bonster/pseuds/Bonster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for Yuletide 2008.</p>
<p>Madeline and her thoughts on Paul and Section and Nikita.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pathways

**Author's Note:**

  * For [madamedarque](https://archiveofourown.org/users/madamedarque/gifts).



What she felt for Paul could not be categorized as love. Love was passion and chaos. Neither of those concepts applied to her. She felt dedication at the most, amicability at the least. She had not felt what could be called love since her girlhood, though it had since been manufactured by Section on any mission that required it.

She preferred order over unknowns. It made her job easier. It made attaining Section goals very much easier.

She did admit a certain fondness for Paul and a definite respect. He could make her smile, and he inspired a sort of pride that any good leader inspired. She enjoyed their times in the Tower. When she self-analyzed her body chemistry and reactions to situations and found them edging toward stress indicators, she would schedule time there.

She had only let him schedule the time once. It had been awkward and would not be repeated. Proper relaxation in their line of work was essential and could not be left to whims of men ruled by their desires.

# # #

Madeline was--almost--excited the day they brought Nikita into Section. It had been planned for quite some time. For Madeline to see something that had been so long-term come to fruition, it had instilled a sense of peace. Everything lining up as was intended in the order intended. She knew, however, what could be said about intentions, and modified her way of viewing it from satisfied to the calm expectancy one feels when in the path of an approaching storm.

Madeline saw much of the woman she could have become in Nikita. There was an abundance of passion. There was an optimism. For someone so young and jaded, there were clear senses of loyalty and trust, which Section's betrayals and secrets would strain but ultimately not break.

Madeline did not possess any sort of faith in regards to her fellow man, Section or otherwise. All were cogs, some with more freedom to spin than others. Madeline spun on her own, terms dictated fully by herself. She was content with that.

Nikita had a different kind of freedom in her life that Madeline neither had nor wanted.

Section was a means to an end. A good end, when all was said and done, even if the means were flexible and their variables at times a mimic of chaos.

She knew that Nikita would not and could not let go of her sense of devotion to her fellow human beings, whether they deserved it or not. She had had no real catalyst for such.

Madeline knew what they fought for: they fought for people like Nikita. They fought to make the world safer, easier. Even if they couldn't do it any other way than hard. Even if people like Nikita got in their way.

Collateral damage was worth it to achieve the world they sought.

# # #

Nikita's team had two near mission failures in a row. Madeline looked into it and found that three of the team had been corrupted. They sold Section secrets to various organizations harmful to Section's goals.

Madeline had them cancelled within minutes of their return to Section.

Nikita stormed into Madeline's office, crying, but she didn't say a word. She stood before Madeline's desk. Madeline made an excuse to Paul who was on the other end of the phone, hung it up, and looked into Nikita's eyes. She waited for Nikita to speak. She didn't have to wait more than forty-nine seconds.

Nikita crossed her arms, as if fortifying herself. "Why?"

Madeline considered telling Nikita you had to prune the dying parts from the whole for the organism to survive and thrive. She considered going to the plant on the nearby shelf with shears and explaining. A live example was always a good teaching tool.

Instead Madeline tilted her head slightly and responded, "Why do you think, Nikita?"

Nikita stood and her eyes said _Tell me I'm wrong. We don't view anyone as expendable, even those who are our enemies. Please._ But someone she had trusted, probably even liked, had betrayed her.

Madeline saw the doubt and conflicting emotions as they ran under the surface of Nikita's skin. She watched Nikita turn and leave the room.

# # #

Madeline knew that she was a mother-figure for Nikita. She thought about using it more often, but if Section were to continue to thrive, Nikita needed to be on their side. Rebellion would be seeded too easily. Nikita had others, like Walter or even Michael, who would cover the nurture aspects of Section life.

Madeline played upon her sister-figure role in the relationship with Nikita quite often. The wise and worldly older sister, whose advice was looked at with both awe and suspicion. She enjoyed that role.

She had thought about peppering their relationship with hints that they, if Nikita wanted, could be lovers. Madeline liked to keep options available as long as possible. She hadn't hinted yet, but she felt the time was approaching.

Nikita and Michael were close, but Nikita kept getting burned. It took a toll on her psyche. As much as Madeline would have preferred Nikita becoming more like her, she needed to make sure she did not. Madeline's world was stone in many ways; Nikita's was ocean. Water and rock were both important, but water brought with it new paths.

One of those times when Michael chose duty and Section--as he should--over Nikita, and Nikita felt the hurt that comes from not being special enough to bend the rules for, Madeline decided the time was then.

# # #

In the end, she'd needed no hints. She was blunt, explained what the benefits were, that it was to be done discreetly.

She then simply asked Nikita to the Tower, and Nikita accepted.

When they'd gotten to the Tower, they'd disrobed in silence, then took each other's hands, and lay down.

They were doing what they needed.


End file.
